Heritage Bank Plc has restated its commitment to entrepreneurship development in Nigeria, as it reassured support for National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) members, and young entrepreneurs in growing their businesses either as a start-up or prospective owners.

The gesture, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Ifie Sekibo, said is in line with the lender’s culture, as a timeless wealth partner.

Sekibo, at the weekend, during the Leadership Development Programme for Corps members, organised by the bank in partnership with Guardians of the Nation International (GOTNI) nationwide, said the leadership programmes are running in all the NYSC Orientation camps in the 36 states.

According to him, the partnership is a demonstration of commitment to using financial inclusion to boost entrepreneurship development, which is critical to our mission to create, preserve and transfer wealth across generations.

Meanwhile, insurance and asset management company- AXA Mansard Insurance, reiterated its commitment to empowering youths by organising a financial literacy awareness campaign at the NYSC Orientation Camps, to sensitise corps members on various decisions that impact their finances and future.

The firm’s stormed the Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt NYSC Orientation camps, to enlighten the 2017 Batch ‘A’ Corps members on the different solutions available to them to help provide financial security against life’s uncertainties.

Corps members were also educated on long and short term investment vehicles available to help them save towards projects and goals.

In addition to the financial awareness exercise at the camps, AXA Mansard provided free basic medical check-up, which include BMI and blood pressure, and medical consultation to Corps members.

According to the Group Head, Strategy, Planning and Marketing, AXA Mansard, Kola Oni, “at AXA Mansard, we are passionate about empowering people to live a better life through our general insurance, savings & investment, pension and health insurance offerings. One way to achieve that is to empower our youths on the importance of planning to secure for their future, early in life, using solutions available within their reach.”

But Sekibo explained that Heritage Bank’s various entrepreneur schemes in the support for business had always focused on dependable job-creating sectors, such as agricultural value chain (fish farming, poultry, snail farming), cottage industry, mining and solid minerals, creative industry (tourism, arts and crafts), and Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

“At Heritage, nothing else is more fulfilling than to groom-to-empower young aspiring start-up entrepreneurs, as we mentor them to grow and become large corporates enlisted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

“In recent times, we have worked with NYSC and the Central Bank of Nigeria to support youth Corp members and young entrepreneurs to grow their businesses as a start-up or prospective business owners,” he said.

The bank has recorded several efforts in Nigeria’s economic recovery process through championing series of empowerment schemes like Youth Innovative Entrepreneurship Development Programme (YIEDP), Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL), on Young Entrepreneurship Business Training Programme (YEBTP), Young Entrepreneurs and Students (YES) Grant, and Nigerian Youth Professional Forum (NYPF), amongst others.